Music Calendar

June 23 - 30, 2010

Thursday | 6/24

ABSTRACT RUDE

Abstract Rude's most enduring characteristic is how intentionally out of time he is. Though he came up in the underground hip-hop era that valued abstraction and headiness over rocking parties, Abstract Rude has always been more of a traditionalist, taking things back to hip-hop's rudiments. It's an approach that has kept him relevant for much longer than his peers. While many underground hip-hop stalwarts have torn up their fiery independent manifestos in favor of overt pop moves, Abstract Rude has held it down with his gritty yet enlightening hip-hop. His latest mix tape, Steel Makin' Trax: The Export, is as direct and uncompromising as anything he's released to date. Moe's Alley; $9 adv/$12 door; 9pm. (Paul M. Davis)

CARRIE RODRIGUEZ

Austin's Carrie Rodriguez burst out in 2002 as something of a prodigy, and it's startling how much she has achieved in a relatively short amount of time. Since her career-making appearance on Chip Taylor's Let's Leave This Town, the fiddle-playing vocalist has released four critically acclaimed albums and become the toast of the alt-country/Americana circuit. On her latest, Love and Circumstance, Rodriguez pays tribute to the artists that inspired her precocious talent. She brings her irrepressible voice and confidence to songs by M. Ward, Richard Thompson, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard and others, inhabiting their songs with as much assurance as she does her own. Don Quixote's; $10; 7:30pm. (PMD)

Friday | 6/25

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

More cowbell! OK, now that we got that out of the way, we'd like to remind everyone that before Will Ferrell made a beer-bellied mockery of the band, Blue Öyster Cult was one of the most fanatically loved hard rock acts in America—and frankly, still is. Between tracks like "Burnin' for You," "Astronomy," "Godzilla" and "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," BOC has been a staple of classic rock radio for more than 40 years. With this kind of musical résumé, folks might expect to pay 50 or 60 bucks to see a live rendition of "(Don't Fear) the Reaper," but at the Beach Boardwalk, Friday night shows are always on the house. Beach Boardwalk; free; 6:30 and 8:30pm. (Curtis Cartier)

Saturday | 6/26

MOUNTAIN PALOOZA

Formerly Lodge-A-Palooza, the newly titled "Mountain Palooza" is a continuation of the annual festival of local bands that has taken place since 2007. This year's show will feature the hard rock outfits Honest Mistake, Who's Holdin' and The Devil Himself, all of whom have been with the event since its beginning. Also making return appearances are the Green Day-influenced My Stupid Brother and 3UpFront, a skate punk band. Mountain Palooza will feature one newcomer, the ska band Take One, which includes former members of the reggae band DubScene. Don Quixote's; $10; 7:30pm. (Sean Conwell)

RUPA AND THE APRIL FISHES

Although she was born in the musically fertile Bay Area, Rupa's multifaceted musical abilities were nourished by a nomadic childhood spent in India and France. Singing mostly in French and Spanish, her sensual voice blends exquisitely with the raucous melodies of the April Fishes. A bending accordion adds somber shades of tango to a mosaic of Gypsy swing, French chanson and Indian ragas, while a trumpet pierces the off-kilter mix, adding just enough shimmer to keep the fiesta surging. Moe's Alley; $10 adv/$13 door, 9pm. (Maria Grusauskas)

HAPA

About 30 years ago, Barry Flanagan (originally of New Jersey) met Keli'i Kaneali'i (a native Hawaiian) and thus was formed Hapa (a name meaning "ethnically mixed"), one of history's most successful Hawaiian pop groups. After gaining a local following with their Hawaiian harmonies tinged with American style folk-rock, in 1993 their debut LP won multiple awards and launched the duo into popularity outside the islands. They followed with Christmas tunes, rock songs (including a cover of U2's "In the Name of Love") and even an album of surf music. Recently, Hapa has returned to the style of their earlier days; lush, traditional music with a modern sensibility. Kuumbwa; $27; 8pm. (Sean Conwell)

Tuesday | 6/29

AUTHORITY ZERO

It's rare for a punk band to tout its "diverse" sounds: even over three decades in, punk rock remains a pretty straightforward affair, despite the side-routes into reggae taken by the likes of the Clash, Bad Brains and Sublime. Authority Zero not only indulges in two-step reggae beats but also introduces elements of traditional Spanish and Portuguese music. Even given this stylistic breadth, Authority Zero delivers the goods, banging heads while they move bodies with music that is alternately pummeling, precise and rhythmically complex. Catalyst; $10 adv/$12 door; 8pm. (PMD)

Wednesday | 6/30

COCOROSIE

Parisian freak folk duo CocoRosie have never suffered from a lack of originality. The infantile vocal stylings of Bianca Casady, a.k.a. Coco, are as adorable as they are obnoxious. Added to the dark and bass-heavy laptop beats and toylike keys and xylophones that the two sisters favor and you've got the tangy flavor of an "acquired taste." For this reason the group is both admired and vilified by the fringe hip-hop, electronica and folk scene that upholds it. Yet many of those who steer clear of CocoRosie's albums could show up at a concert and expect to see a wholly different sound often featuring live rappers, full bands and surprise guests. Rio Theatre; $15 adv/$18 door; 8pm. (CC)